The Ballad of Joe Hill/Philly Fringe Festival

September 9, 2013

GUESTS: ADRIENNE MACKEY, BRADLEY K. WRENN and WALTERLICHT

The early 20th century labor activist and Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) member, Joe Hill, was hanged in 1915 after a controversial murder trial following over two years in prison. Philadelphia’s Swim Pony Performing Arts updates their 2006 production of “The Ballad of Joe Hill” set in the Eastern State Penitentiary for the 2013 Fringe Festival. Co-creators of this production, ADRIENNE MACKEY andBRADLEY K. WRENN, come in to discuss why they’ve committed so much time to this historical figure. And University of Pennsylvania history professor WALTERLICHTjoins them to explain the historical context of the early American labor movement.

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